Active contact lens

#Recent advances by the present inventors and others in methods of fabricating micro-scale electronic components, and in methods for self-assembly of micro-scale components onto separately-formed substrates, are enabling the fabrication of systems that were previously impossible or impractical to construct. For example, the ability to incorporate silicon-based components onto polymeric substrates to form functional devices provides new opportunities and challenges for producing useful systems.

#The advantages of systems for reliably displaying information to users in a manner that minimizes the user's need to look towards a fixed display device are well-known. For example, heads-up displays have been built into aircraft cockpit windows and military headgear. For commercial applications, wearable display devices such as head-mounted displays or devices that project images directly onto a user's retina have been developed.

#It is also useful in some applications to be able to monitor an individual's biological condition, for example to evaluate chemical or biological stressors that may be present internally or externally, to monitor an individual's level of exertion, or to evaluate potential traumatic stressors, or the like. Various biosensors are, of course, known in the art, but there remains a need for providing a system for reliably collecting and monitoring biological information produced by such biosensors.

#The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an active contact lens system in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a side view of the active contact lens shown in FIG. 1;

#While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

#An electronically functional contact lens, or active contact lens, and methods for constructing a prototype active contact lens are disclosed. A currently preferred embodiment of an active contact lens system will be described, with reference to the FIGURES, wherein like numbers indicate like parts.

#FIG. 1 shows schematically an active contact lens system 100 in accordance with the present invention, which includes an active contact lens 110, a power supply 140 and a base station 150. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the active contact lens 110 component of the system 100.